Plans afoot to make Cracker Day two-day celebration next year

The Florida Cracker is a disappearing breed. But, if the members of the St. Johns County Cattlemen's Association have anything to say about it, Crackers will never be forgotten.

"What we're after -- we want the public to not forget our past," emphasizes Diane Ross, vice president of the cattlemen's group. "We need to remind people here where we came from."

With that in mind, and fresh on the heels of a successful 45th annual Cracker Day Oct. 18, plans are already in the works for a bigger and better celebration in 2004, an event which may well turn into a two-day celebration.

Supporters of Cracker Day these past 42 years saw a lot of changes in the 2003 version, including lots of special entertainment for children like the popular rock climb attraction.

Cracker Day has definitely changed, says Ross. It's more a festival now. It's a family-oriented activity that emphasizes wholesome family fun, observes Francis O'Loughlin, a member of the board. O'Loughlin was one of those conducting a survey Oct. 18 asking participants if they'd be agreeable to a two-day event.

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JUDGE NELSON E. BAILEY drew a crowd as he rode his Cracker horse around the fairgrounds.

-By JANET EVANS, staff

The answer was a resounding "yes," he reported Monday afternoon.

The name Florida Cracker may have come from the fact that Florida cowboys used long whips instead of ropes to drive the cattle -- or from early settlers "crackin' their corn to make grits" according to one article in this year's Cracker Day souvenir program. The program was distributed to the estimated 2,500 who attended the Oct. 18 gathering at the St. Johns County Fairgrounds.

The presence of reenactors from around the state is another big change for the annual celebration.

"Silk is the strongest natural fiber known," Lise Patterson, dressed in period dress and operating a spinning wheel, told those gathered to watch her demonstration. Patterson, from High Springs, is an registered nurse who enjoys traveling and presenting her program. She camped overnight at the fairgrounds because, as she explained of her spinning wheel, "it takes awhile to set up this monster."

She aims her presentation toward children, she said, to drive home the message that it's really difficult to put food on the table and to make clothing.

Two booths down from Patterson, Clarke's Cracker Cattle, belonging to C.C. Clarke of Indian Branch Ranch in St. Johns County mooed in welcome.

"My cattle are direct descendants of the cattle brought over by Juan Ponce de Leon in 1521, and they were almost extinct," she noted. In the early 1970s, the state decided to take steps to preserve the breed, "so they started the Cracker Cattle Breeders Association."

Nearby Judge Nelson E. Bailey of Loxahatchee, atop his Cracker horse and with his faithful dog at his side, drew a crowd.

He further fascinated the crowd with his storytelling, presented in the horse arena just before noon.

An atmosphere of the 1840s is one message the cattlemen's group hopes to convey with reenactors, says Ross. "But," she adds, "we're looking for any kind of reenactor from any period. We're looking for more reenactors, more entertainment for the kids -- family fun, and we want people to learn about our history."

Another goal of the association is to get more organizations involved in the annual event, always held the third weekend in October.

Several years ago, the St. Augustine Shrine Club joined with the association, and they cook the tasty barbecue dinners that are served as part of the admission price. This year, the donation was $8 for adults.

"We're thrilled to have the Shriners," Ross emphasizes.

Dwight Wilkes, president of the St. Augustine Shrine Club, returns the compliment. "I believe it's a good relationship for both organizations," he says of his club and the cattlemen.

Both groups make money because $2 of the $8 ticket is given to the cattlemen, and the association also makes money through the booth rental fees.

Shriners work very hard for Cracker Day, involving between 30 and 40 members and their wives. This year, they started cooking Wednesday night, serving nearly 2,000 dinners, says Wilkes.

And, the cattlemen want more groups like the Shriners to get involved. Ross is particularly looking for more vendors, "and I love local vendors."

She's also looking for more people to pump up the membership of the Cattlemen's Association. "If they got leather shoes or a leather belt, and they like hamburgers, they're in," Ross quips.

In coming weeks, the cattlemen are planning a meeting to start making plans for next year's event and to decide if they want a two-day event, says Ross. Interested people are invited. Further information on the meeting is available by contacting Ross at 814-2448.

"It's doable," Wilkes suggests of a two-day event, but "barbecue would not be something we could do twice." However, the Shriners "like to cook," and they could perhaps provide a fish fry the second day.

"We have people come from around the First Coast on the horse side," says Ross. "They've known about us forever. They camp out there. What we want is the people side," she emphasizes.

"I continually heard people say they enjoyed the Cracker camp and the Cracker Cattle," Wilkes said.

He's also appreciative of the support of "everybody coming out."

The cattlemen are fading fast in this county and so is farming, Ross concludes. "It's sad. We don't want these newcomers to forget our past."